Israel’s Channel 12 quoted an Egyptian source it described as “high-ranking” confirming in a statement that “Israel changed its position during the talks that took place in Cairo over the past two days,” noting that it “agreed that the PA employees who will be stationed at the crossings to the Gaza Strip will wear the official uniform” of the PA.
“PA signs will be placed to highlight the responsibility they will assume regarding traffic at the crossings, alongside the European observer team that will return to the crossings in accordance with the 2005 agreement between Israel and the PA, i.e. two years before Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip,” according to the Israeli news channel.
The Palestinian presidency renewed its demand on Friday for “the State of Palestine to assume its full responsibilities in the Strip as an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
It said in a statement: “The State of Palestine has legal and political jurisdiction over the Strip, like the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and rejects severing any part of it.”
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It added that the Palestinian government “has completed all preparations to assume its full responsibilities in the Gaza Strip,” and that “its administrative and security teams are fully prepared to carry out their duties to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, return the displaced to their homes and places of residence, restore basic services such as water and electricity, take over control of the crossings, and rebuild.”
Earlier on Saturday, the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza announced “beginning the deployment of its units in Gaza’s governorates as the ceasefire agreement enters into force” on Sunday.
The ministry recommended “the need to take precautions, exercise the utmost caution, and await instructions from official sources.”